Macron blinks as yellow-vests protest forces fuel-tax

French president has suspended fuel-tax hike that sent 300,000 protesters into streets

bloomberg

04.12.2018

The French president who has prided himself on sticking to his guns even as his popularity levels tumbled, has reversed course and suspended a planned fuel-tax hike that had sent as many as 300,000 protesters into the streets for three weeks, with vivid images of the violent clashes in the heart of Paris making their rounds worldwide.

In addition to concerns about its impact on French finances, the retreat raises questions about a set of reforms Macron has planned for next year, which involve sure-to-be unpopular changes to unemployment insurance and a unification of France's retirement systems. Members of the grassroots group, dubbed the Yellow Vests, have already said the measures announced on Tuesday aren't enough to end the protests.